TargetOfOpportunity.com

Peter Daniel Young

Peter Daniel Young and Justin Clayton Samuel broke into a series of farms, stole, and abandoned mink in October 1997. Peter Young was caught in San Jose, CA at a Starbucks after shoplifting eight identical CDs. And he shoplifted the CDs from the display case and hid them in his coat right in front of the police officer.

When Peter Young was arrested by police, he was found to have a handcuff key taped inside of his belt right where the handcuffs would be. Peter Young was on the run for seven and a half years. All of the others associated with the break-ins were convicted. He was the only one still missing.

And he got caught in a Starbucks, a hangout so symbolic of corporate and middle-class America.

At the time of his arrest, Young did not appear to own a car and has no known address. His arrest in San Jose has raised questions about what he was doing in the Bay Area.

Besides stealing CDs in front of a police officer, it is pretty easy to tell what he was doing in the Bay Area. He was leeching off of other people, exploiting the masses, and selfishly taking advantage of others.

On July 23, 2005, four extortion related charges were dropped. He is now charged with two counts of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which carries a maximum of 2 years in prison.

Young pleaded guilty to animal terrorism and was sentenced to two years in prison and one year of extended supervision and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $254,840.

He graduated from high school in 1995 in Mercer Island, WA, a well-to-do Seattle suburb. Young, 19-year-old Justin Clayton Samuel and a Seattle woman, Allison Porter, were arrested in Mercer Island in 1997 for trespassing, authorities said. They carried bolt cutters, ALF literature, a vial of animal tranquilizer and a book titled "Free the Animals."

Peter Young is another example of "Poor Little Rich Boy". Everything was handed to him and he never really had to work hard at anything, therefore, he never really learned what it was to work hard to make a living as everyone else is expected to do. This explains the lack of respect he has for the work of others and why it is so easy to for him to destroy it with such a selfish and reckless attitude.

Young's co-conspirator, Justin Samuel, entered into a plea agreement when caught, earning him a place on the Activist Hall of Shame. There is no love or loyalty in these groups. These people will turn on each other in a moment's notice, but is that not the way of most criminal organizations.

According to a court papers, Peter Young and Justin Samuel set out that October in Allison Porter's red Geo Metro to disrupt mink farms. Working off an ALF list of addresses code-named "The Final Nail", they allegedly freed about 7,000 minks in Iowa, South Dakota and Wisconsin causing $1.3 million in damages.

October 25, 1997
Early a.m., Medford, Wisconsin, Break In and Theft of Animals
Jack L. Dittrich's Minkery was invaded and 3,000 animals stolen and abandoned, less than 100 not recovered. ALF admitted guilt. Loss $500,000.

October 25, 1997
Early a.m., Tomahawk, Wisconsin, Break In and Theft of Animals
Midnight trespass and release of 301 animals from one shed at Alex Ott's Fur Farm, farmer scared them off. Farmer recovered all but 43. ALF admitted guilt. Loss $99,400.

"For the sake of clarity, let us be uncomfortably honest: to snitch is to take a life. By words and by weapons, each day lives are taken in the most egregious of crimes. When this happens in the courtroom, we call it "cooperation". I call it violence, and I call anything done to keep an informant out of the courtroom "self defense".
-- Peter Young, animal liberation prisoner

This statement is so telling of the true nature of these eco-terrorists. They should be free to do whatever they want and they should be allowed to do whatever they want to do to stop anyone from stopping them. If anyone tries to stop them, to them it is an act of violence. Make no mistake, Peter Young would have no more of a problem killing a witness whom he hated than an Islamic terrorist beheading an US Soldier.

Peter Daniel Young has been released

We have an update to the story. On 01 February 2007, Peter Daniel Young has been released from federal prison, but he will not return to South Dakota to face state charges for a 1997 raid near Kranzburg. Following terms of an agreement he made with prosecutors, he will not ever return to South Dakota.

"We are not proceeding with the South Dakota charges," said Dawn Elshere, Codington County state's attorney. She said that under the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement with Young, "he won't be allowed to return to the state - ever." Authorities decided there was nothing more to be gained by prosecuting him in the state.

Young was sentenced to two years in a federal prison in California after pleading guilty in Wisconsin to animal enterprise terrorism for releasing mink at farms in Iowa, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

To look again at the crimes he committed, on 17 October 1997, a 20-foot section of fence was cut and about 3000 mink were released at the former Turbak Mink Ranch near Kranzburg. The mink - valued at $90,000 - got loose early in the morning. Some were recaptured; many died before they could be corralled.

The former owners said the loss played a part in the eventual closure of their business.

Elshere said restitution was part of the federal case. "Whether or not they've seen any of that money, I don't know," she said. The sentencing judge ordered $254,840 in restitution. It is doubtful that Young will ever pay the restitution. He was also was given one year of supervised release and 360 hours of community service. This is a small comfort to those he harmed, as some of them will never fully recover from the financial damage.

Young said in federal court that his mink farm raids were acts of conscience. He did not show any remorse except that he was sorry he got caught.

Federal investigators believe Young was connected with the Animal Liberation Front, a terrorist group with Marxist core beliefs whose primary mission is to destroy animal-related industries it considers inhumane. Keep in mind that these people consider Seeing Eye Dogs to be exploitation.

The original South Dakota charges were third-degree burglary, intentional damage to property, and animal enterprise trespass. Convictions on the first two carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The third charge has a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Unfortunately, Young will not stand trial for the original South Dakota charges. It is not a surprise that some of the mink farmers are disappointed Young will not face the South Dakota charges. Dawn Elshere said that part of the decision was based on "whether we could have a successful prosecution."

During a jailhouse interview, Young told The Associated Press that serving time would be nothing compared to what caged animals suffer.

"As bad as it could get, it will never be as bad as it was for those mink. I would do it all over again."
-- Peter Daniel Young during a jailhouse interview with the Associated Press

"I would do it all over again." We cannot say that we have not been forewarned. There is little doubt that Young will return to his old ways. Do not believe for a moment that he has been rehabilitated. He does not want to be rehabilitated. He has been filled with so much propaganda for so long that in his mind, he is some kind of cult hero. He is a true believer who believes his own fantasy is reality. He is going to continue along the same lines that got him arrested until someone stops him.

Peter Daniel Young has been released from prison and is now living in Santa Cruz, CA. He regularly speaks about animal rights at conferences across the country. He is out and resuming his activist lifestyle and ready to continue his affiliation with the Animal Liberation Front. He is a dangerous criminal that has been released on an unsuspecting public. His agreement is that he will not return to South Dakota, but knowing that he does not have much respect for the law, who knows where he will strike next.

Peter Young is an animal rights activist and former animal liberation prisoner sentenced to a two-year prison term in 2005 for releasing and conspiracy to release thousands of mink from fur farms in 1997. Recently released after 7 years as an fugitive and a 24 month federal prison sentence, this veteran activist continues to be an unapolegetic supporter of those who cross legal lines to achieve animal liberation.

A frequent college lecturer, Peter Young is available for speaking events, bringing with him an arresting story: speaking on the subjects of animal liberation, direct action, first hand experiences inside farms and laboratories, and more insight from nearly 15 years fighting for animal liberation.

"'Animal rights extremists' or 'freedom fighters'. Call those in this abolitionist struggle what you will. History will absolve us..."

When you look at the acts committed by Peter Daniel Young, you can see they are criminal acts committed by a selfish person that does not care about anyone but himself. He always has an excuse trying to legitimize why he is destroying someone else's property, but it is still a crime.